


Side Effects include Kissing with Tongue

by Kileykao



Category: Critical Role (Web Series) RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-16
Updated: 2019-12-16
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:50:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21822076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kileykao/pseuds/Kileykao
Summary: “Don’t worry,” Sam Riegel says, full well knowing that the words that are about to come out of his mouth are a big fat lie, “Best friends kiss like this all the time.”Liam O’Brien drags him down into another kiss, rough and claiming before whispering into his mouth, “Of course, why else do you have a best friend.”It’s easier to lie. So they do.
Relationships: Liam O'Brien/Sam Riegel
Comments: 2
Kudos: 31





	Side Effects include Kissing with Tongue

**Author's Note:**

> As always, please keep this to AO3

Their first kiss is on a Wednesday, in the overheated cramped studio in Sam’s house. It starts with them just pressed close to one another in nothing but their boxers. They’re sharing breaths when Sam watched as Liam’s eyes flick down to his lips. They’re sharing breaths and a second later, Sam pulls Liam into a kiss. It probably should have been quick. A quick peck on the lips as nothing more than just a joke. 

Instead, Liam pushes himself closer opening his mouth and letting Sam push his tongue into his mouth. It’s hot and heavy and after a second, Sam is pulling Liam into his lap just to deepen the kiss further. They break apart a minute later panting to catch their breath, both looking at each other wide-eyed. 

“What… You’re my best friend, Sam” Liam says catching his breath and letting his forehead fall so that it’s pressed into Sam’s bare shoulder. 

“Don’t worry,” Sam Riegel says, full well knowing that the words that are about to come out of his mouth are a big fat lie, “Best friends kiss like this all the time.”

Liam O’Brien drags him into another kiss, rough and claiming before whispering into his mouth, “Of course, why else do you have a best friend.”

They kiss again, Liam’s arms wrapping around Sam’s neck and Sam’s resting around his waist. 

(They both politely pull away when both of them are rocking against each other, hard as a rock and both on the edge of cumming in their pants like a pair of horny teenagers. They pull apart panting and cheeks flushed red, walking in different directs to take their own showers, not talking about what they just did.)

(They don’t talk about it with each other. They both run to their wives with their tails between their legs telling them about what they did. Both of the ladies understand and smile telling them that they understand. It’s fine. They’re just friends. Friends kiss each other all the time. Amy and Quyen shake their heads at that, but they understand the need for this rationalization.)

Sam drags Liam down into his lap. Liam hums as he does, pushing his back into the younger man’s chest and grinning when he feels Sam’s mouth on his skin. Liam is going to end up with a bruise by the time Sam is done, but that’s fine. He’s enjoying Sam marking his neck and groaning into his ear, with palm spread across his stomach. 

(This is totally a thing best friends do. It’s fine. Of course, it’s fine.)

Liam is pressed along Sam’s back as he fiddles with the plastic key card to their shared hotel room. Liam’s mouth is wet and warm along the curve of his neck and when Sam finally gets the door open, Liam pushes him forward kicking the door closed behind them. 

The door slams shut with a loud back and then Liam is on him pressing him into the door, the handle digging into his back and their lips connected. 

Both of them are struggling with their hands to find skin, desperately in this moment pulling at clothes to get access to what’s underneath. Liam pulls away first, pulling his t-shirt over his head watching with dark eyes as Sam does the same. 

The push into each other’s spaces again, pulling each other closer and desperately trying to swallow each other whole. 

“I’m glad I have such a great best friend,” Liam whispers into Sam’s neck, his teeth rough against the skin. It’s going to leave a mark, but right now Sam can’t bring himself to care about it. 

Sam’s head rolls back, backing into the door and his nails digging into the skin of Liam’s back, Liam’s mouth continuing to move lower and lower before moaning out, “I think I’m the lucky one Liam,”

(There is an air of desperation between them. They don’t talk about how much this isn’t a thing that best friends do. How this isn’t something that’s normal. That best friends don’t skirt the edge of having sex with one another only to pull away when their hot and desperate and hard as rock in their pants.)

(They maybe should talk about it)

Sam presses Liam down into the sheets, both fully dressed and enjoying each other’s company. His fingers dance along Liam’s chest, never going below the waist and enjoying the taste of whiskey in Liam’s mouth. 

(They’re best friends nothing more.)

They kiss again and again and again. They kiss until it feels like they belong like this. That kissing each other is so second nature that there is no hesitation, no moment of should we or should we not do this. It’s terrifying and also the greatest feeling in the world. 

They kiss and Liam feels everything wrong in the world melt away. It’s just them. 

(It’s okay. Yeah, it’s definitely okay and fine and totally normal. They’re just friends.)

(Denial is a powerful emotion.)

Another hotel room. This time Sam pushes at him until he lands flat on the bed. Their mouths are connected, their tongues pushing at each other and their hands wandering. 

“What if,” Liam’s head tilts back as Sam’s mouth connects to the curve of his neck, “What if you take my pants off, Sammy”

Above him, Sam freezes. They’ve been doing this for years. Years of carefully avoiding their hands going below each other’s waist, of leaving each other with impressions of teeth and bruises on their skin. They’ve both have had thoughts about it before. Neither of them are stupid enough to ignore that they have. Ignore every time that they’ve pulled away from each other and walked in different directs, only to find a shower or just a bed where they could shove a hand down their pants and desperately moan out each other names as they buck their hips into a tight fist. They’re not stupid enough to lie about wanting each other in that way. They’ve never gone further than kissing before. 

They’ve both know the other wants it. They’ve both heard the other moan out each other’s name threw thin hotel walls. 

“I mean,” he says, pulling way bracketing Liam in with his hands resting on either side of Liam’s head, “Best Friends help each other out all the time.”

It’s an easy lie. One that they can easily believe so they can both get what they want out their time together. 

Sam’s hands pull at Liam’s belt, and the older man lifts his hips to give Sam the clearance to work. He pulls his boxer and his jeans in one go, his hands hovering, but not touching him. Liam watches as Sam licks his lips, then letting his hand wrap firmly around Liam’s cock. 

( _ Don’t worry,  _ Liam thinks as Sam’s mouth wraps around his dick,  _ This is a totally normal thing that best friends do.  _ That’s the last coherent thought that Liam has for a while. _ ) _

Liam pulls Sam into a kiss as they pass each other in the hallway of a game studio. It’s quick, barely more than a press of their lips before the older man is gone. Sam licks his lips, before continuing on with his day. 

(It’s not a desperate kiss anymore. They’ve, well, not mellowed out. They’re just not twenty-something who are afraid they’re going to lose each other at any moment anymore.)

(that being said, they’re still terrified of losing each other.)

The thing is, they both know that what they do isn’t exactly normal. This is not a thing that best friends do. It’s easier to lie though. Because that means that they don’t have to talk about their feelings. The way that they love each other in a way they’re not meant to. The way that they always kiss like it might be their last time, every kiss that they’ve had over the last ten years has been like that. 

They don’t want to talk about how they aren’t going to stop. How there isn’t exactly much that could stop Liam from leaning over the center console of his car to drag Sam into a kiss every time he climbs into his passenger seat or Sam pulling Liam up with one hand firmly wrapped around the back of his neck in back rooms of convention centers and recording studios. 

(The don’t talk about how their wives gently tease them about it, or how both of their wives push them at each other when they’ve gone too long without the proper amount of time together.)

(That’s not normal either, but it can be if they don’t talk about it.)

Liam puts both hands on the sides of Sam’s face pulling him into a kiss and humming into the familiarness of the action. The kiss is soft and Sam smiles into Liam’s mouth. It’s nice. They have this, and they don’t need to explain it in any way shape or form. 

“I’m glad,” Liam whispers, softly pecking Sam’s lips again, “That you’re my best friends.”

Sam smiles, this time all teeth and happiness radiating from him in waves, “I couldn’t ask for a better person to be mine either.”

(They’re older now. With kids and their own studio and a twitch stream that has hundreds of thousands of people who watch it regularly. But their still them. They still do this thing that is just for them, for no one else. It’s not a show or an act. It’s just who they are.)

(Best friends might not kiss as desperately as they do. Or really kiss at all. But they do, and that’s what matters.)

Sam clicks the lock of the bathroom at the studio, before turning to corner Liam against the skin counter. Their mouths find each other and Sam whispers, “We should see if that shower can fit two people.”

Liam laughs, his hands already pulling at Sam’s belt and their lips still mostly pressed together, “I think that we can swing that,” 

Their clothes come off easily and after a moment, they step until the stream of hot water and Liam presses Sam against the cool tile. They’ve done this before -- well, they’ve had sex in the shower before, they’ve never had sex at the studio before -- it’s a familiar dance, as Sam watches Liam fall to his knees against the hard tile of the shower, wincing as he does. It’s a familiar sight to watch Liam wraps his hand around his cock, pumping it a few times to bring him to semi-hard before wrapping his mouth around the head of his dick. 

It’s a familiar for Sam to wrap his fingers into Liam’s hair and familiar sounds that escape from both of them. 

(Liam’s mouth is warm against the skin, swallowing him to the base and humming as his nose rubs along the wiry hair there. Sam will pull away just before he’s about to cum and Liam will close his eyes letting the younger man’s seed spread across his face, already starting to wash away with the warm water as it appears. Sam will pull him to his feet, flipping them so the cool tile is against Liam’s back and they’ll kiss again, this time the taste of Sam filling both of their mouths.)

(Sam’s hand will wrap around Liam’s cock and will draw out an orgasm from him with his nibble fingers)

Liam pins Sam down into the cushions of the Talks Machina couch. It’s not the most uncomfortable place they’ve made out, but it’s curtain not at the top of the list either. It’s easy what they have. Slowly and comfortable. It’s practiced the way they piece together, the way Sam knows what Liam’s likes and how Liam knows just how to make Sam squirm. 

(They don’t get caught. But it’s close.)

“We’re only best friends. Nothing more and nothing less.” Liam O’Brien says one day to Amy and Amy laughs like it’s the funniest joke she’s ever heard. 

“If you believe that,” She response back threw her laughter, “If that’s what you and Sam are calling dating these days, then that’s what we’ll say you are.”

Liam frowns, looking down at the sandwich he’s currently making for his son, they aren’t anything more than best friends.

(They are. But admitting that would mean they need to talk about feelings and that’s the last thing they want to do.)

Sam pulls Liam into his arms, falling into bed beside him and letting Liam cry into his chest. They don’t talk about anything that’s happening outside of these four walls. They don’t talk about why Liam’s crying, they don’t talk about how Liam hasn’t left his bed in a couple of days or anything else. Sam just lets Liam cry, peppering his face with kisses and whispering that everything is going to be fine. 

(A kiss into his too-long hair. “I love you.” A kiss to his forehead, “It’s going to be okay”. A kiss to his cheek, “You’re going to be okay.” A kiss to his lips, “I love you”)

Everything comes crashing down on a Thursday, which honestly is very fitting for them. They’ve been doing this for nearly 15 years. They’ve been finding time to be with one another and press kisses to lips and shove their hands down each other pants for nearly the last five. They’re in the back of the Critical Role studios, Sam straddling Liam’s waist in a dark back corner where they know they won’t be interrupted. 

Sam’s hand is wrapped around Liam’s cock, and Liam’s hand is down the back of Sam’s pants, his nails digging into the curve of his ass when they hear a loud cough startling them out of their haze. It’s not time for them to go back to the stream yet, they have an alarm set so they won’t be late, so it’s not someone looking for them to start. They both jump, pulling apart from one another, Sam falling to the ground with a thud. 

Travis is standing there wide-eyed and cheeks bright red. 

“Uhhhh… Hi big guy,” Liam says, pulling at his belt and definitely pretending like his cock isn’t painfully hard and his work husband didn’t just have his hand shoved down the front of his jeans jacking him off. 

“What the hell are you guys doing?” Travis says after a moment, the words sputtering out of his mouth and the shock in his tone evident. 

“You know,” Sam says pulling his jeans closed, also definitely pretending like he isn’t hard as well, “Doing best friend things.”

Travis blinks at them. Maybe it’s the fact that he just saw the two of them necking like teenagers in the back of a car after prom, or maybe it’s the fact that they aren’t just sputtering out how he can’t tell anyone and making it a big deal. 

It’s not a big deal. They do this all the time. Not that Travis -- or well, anyone other than their wives -- knows this.

Travis’ jaw is slightly agasp and he continues saying “Best friends things?  _ Best Friends things.  _ This isn’t normal best friend things.”

Sam opens his mouth to argue back, when the alarm goes off, instead of arguing back says, “Look, we’ll talk about this after the game.”

(Both of them adjust themselves and walk back to the table for the second half of the game. Based on the looks that Travis keeps shooting the two of them, they both get the distinct feeling that they’re doing something a lot worse than they actually are.)

They call a family meeting after the game. Not that long ago, that would mean going to a bar post-game and talking about everything that happened that night. Now it means, everyone following Laura and Travis back to their house and sipping on beers as they pay their babysitter and make sure the baby is a-okay. 

Sam sits down on the couch next to Liam, wrapping their fingers together and taking a deep breath as everyone filters in around them, waiting to see what the two of them want to talk about. 

Once everyone is sitting around them -- Travis sitting with his arms crossed over his chest and frown settled on his face -- Laura asks, “Is there something, in particular, you guys wanted to talk about.”

There is a moment of silence. The two of them look at each other, trying to figure out the best way to say it. They haven’t talked about it themselves. It’s hard to define something for someone else when you haven’t figured it out for themselves. Sam squeezes their palms together, both of them taking a deep breath. 

“Sam is my best friend,” Liam says after a moment. 

All of them blink, confused by this statement, “You called a meeting to tell us something we all already know?” Marisha asks and Liam shakes his head. 

“It’s more than that. We…” Sam looks to Liam, and whispers, “I don’t know how to say it.”

“What,” Travis says with a huff, “That your cheating on your wives with each other.” neither of them thinks that they’ve ever heard the big guy this angry before. Well -- not this angry in a  _ real _ way -- around the table with Grog’s fury or in a recording studio, sure. But never this real and never aimed at them. 

Everyone else in their little found family turns to Travis then back at them. Sam frowns. He knew that’s what Travis was going to say, but it still hurts to hear. 

“It’s not…” Liam starts and Travis shakes his head.

“What? Are you going to say shoving your hands down each other’s pants at break isn’t cheating? Because that sure as hell seems like cheating to me.” Travis’ tone is frightening. If it wasn’t for the fact that they both know him -- that they both know that he’s a gentle giant at heart, they would be terrified. 

Laura’s face is white and Liam doesn’t know what to say to his twinnie. He doesn’t know what to say to any of them. Sam squeezes his hand and lets out a deep breath. 

“It’s not cheating when both of your wives know what you’re doing.” Sam spits back at him and it’s the air in the room is weird. A weird tension that none of them have ever felt while they’re with each other. 

Taliesin stands, holding his hands up and saying “Okay, Woah, no need to get angry at one another. Let’s start at the beginning, Travis -- what happened that has you so angry?”

Travis huffed, shaking his head, “I found the two of them with their hands down each other’s pants during the break.”

The room is oddly silent -- quiet enough that Liam is fairly certain that he would be able to hear a pin drop. It’s a weird tension, that none of them can describe. Travis is angry and bitter, and Sam and Liam don’t know how to explain anything about their relationship. 

“Sam -- you said that you’re wives know?” Matt asks breaking the silence after a minute, cutting through the tension like a knife. Both of them nod. 

“We haven’t been sneaking around for fifteen years, Travis,” Liam says, his voice shaky and unsure, holding on to Sam’s hand like it’s the only thing keeping him from floating away.

“Fifteen years?” Marisha asks, her head tilting at that. Both of them nod again.

“Sam is my best friend,” Liam says, a sad laugh lacing his voice. “He’s always been my best friend, and always will be my best friend. Sometimes, best friends kiss each other, that’s all.”

“Brian is my best friend, and you don’t see me sticking my hand down his pants,” Travis says his brow furrowed together.

They don’t talk about it and maybe that’s what lead them here. They haven’t — not even to themselves — talked about what they’re relationship is. They should have told their little found family a long time ago about what they’re relationship is. They wouldn’t be here right now frowning at the ground trying to figure out how to say it without saying if they were honest with themselves, and everyone else in their lives years ago. 

“I love Liam,” Sam says after another moment, his thumb tracing along the lines of Liam’s hand. They might not know how to explain their relationship, but Sam could certainly try. “We spent a long time convincing ourselves that all best friends press each other into the wall and force their tongues down each other’s throats.” Laura’s nose wrinkles and Marisha laughs and some of the tension finally starts to fade away. “We spent a long time rationalizing everything we did because we’re best friends who are married to two wonderful women, with two kids each. We’re not supposed to love each other like this, and certainly are wives are not supposed to send us to hotel rooms and tells us that we need to fuck each other more often,”

Liam squeezes their palms together again, then lets out a sigh, “I love Sam, he’s one of the most important people in the world to me. We don’t want to talk about it, but we really  _ really _ should. We’re not cheating on our wives, and we’re not sneaking around. This is just… It’s just who we are.”

“Amy and Q know?” Travis asks.

“Of course,” Sam answered, “Both of us freaked out and went right to them the first time we kissed”

Travis nods. He might not understand, but he’ll get there. 

(Best friends may not kiss each other like Sam and Liam do, but it’s how they work and that’s all that really matters.)

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and Comments are always cool!


End file.
